Friday, July 30, 2010
Dreams in Denmark
This impeccable home in Denmark demonstrates once more the importance of visual cleanliness, light colors, and the careful selection of objects, a constant time to decorate that never fails, select objects, clear and correct choice of the mixture of white with black.
Friday Inspiration ..
Bathrooms, bedrooms, and Livings to inspire, refresh your home with new ideas to change the energy, a brief sample of fresh rooms, luminous and possible
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Savoir Flair
Cynthia Rowley's love of shiny surfaces and do-it-yourself touches gives her family's Greek Revival townhouse madcap character
Written by Martha McCully • Styled by Carlos Mota • Photographed by Roger Davies
When Cynthia Rowley moved from Chicago to Manhattan back in the early 1980s, the up-and-coming fashion designer drove a U-Haul straight to a loft on Varick Street. As she remembers, she thought it was "Seventh Avenue, fashion capital of the world." Technically Varick is Seventh Avenue -- but it is an extension about 30 blocks south of the garment district. That geographical mishap notwithstanding, within three weeks of her arrival Rowley had created a ready-to-wear collection, printed invitations to her first show, and bumped into Andy Warhol, handing him an invite. A fashion force was born -- so was a domestic goddess.
Friends declare themselves amazed by her resourcefulness and ability to multitask. When she's taking a break she will whip out her iPhone to track down the perfect crown molding, and whenever she is across the country on business, Rowley always boards a red-eye back to spend an hour with her kids and husband in the morning before heading to the office. It is her whirlwind mix of energy and warmth that so many people find endearing.
Today Rowley still lives near Seventh Avenue, but home now is an 1845 Greek Revival townhouse in the West Village that she shares with her husband, writer Bill Powers, and daughters Kit and Gigi. The interiors are totally reflective of the woman behind them -- traditional yet modern, utilitarian yet artistic, solid yet whimsical. There is a bit of history here too. "Fiorello La Guardia lived around the corner," says Powers, referring to a celebrated mayor of New York. "So did the inventor of Jujubes," adds his wife.
The brick structure Rowley purchased three years ago needed a total renovation, since for many years it had been divided into apartments. The designer wanted it to be an easygoing place for indoor/outdoor living as well as a traditional family home -- and a great backyard was key. One logical addition was a pool, of course, which required an excavation of the house's overgrown property. "It was like the Addams family's garden," Rowley says. Now there is a long, lean lap pool where she takes dips with her daughters; it's also the perfect backdrop to showcase her collections (Rowley staged her 2009 resort presentation here). From one tree hangs a swing, while the branches of another form a kid-perfect route: Nine-year-old Kit can make a grand entrance through the balcony and then shinny down to the garden.
The glass-walled open kitchen-and-dining area flows straight into the yard, visually and aesthetically. Rowley designed images of flowering cherry trees and had Flavor Paper, a New Orleans firm, turn them into a silvery wall covering to install above the banquette. "It's traditional Japanese and modern at the same time," she says. The dining table was inspired by the quirky work of artist Andrea Zittel, with plates nestling into round cutouts in its surface, the designer explains, "just kind of for fun."
The so-called grown-ups' floor serves as a stage for Rowley and Powers's love of art, an enthusiasm that has led him to become a founding partner of Half Gallery with novelist James Frey and fashion entrepreneur Andy Spade. In the living room Will Cotton's portrait of Gigi, three, hangs next to a Rachel Feinstein drawing, and nearby is a Gregory Crewdson photograph and a Rowley drawing (the designer's glamorous, loopy artwork illustrates the latest of her five books, Slim: A Fantasy Memoir). A bookcase was constructed to store volumes inscribed by artists, including Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, and Warhol. On one wall a self-portrait by Rowley's grandmother is displayed below an Elizabeth Peyton painting of British rocker Pete Doherty. Why the weird juxtaposition? "They're both creative geniuses," the designer says proudly.
Guarding a staircase is a mom-and-pop pair of stuffed geese; Rowley had them shipped from Deyrolle, the legendary Paris taxidermy shop -- only to have the feathered duo nearly confiscated by U.S. Customs officials. "They tried to take them because of the bird flu," the designer says, rolling her eyes at the improbability.
Since the grown-ups' floor is used for entertaining as well, the inoperable baby grand doubles as a giant wine cooler (its body is lined with plastic). The piano bench is a Gaston Marticorena creation -- a bale of hay wrapped in plastic. Rowley is pretty good at do-it-yourself projects too. She made her daughters' bunk beds resemble a petit four by frosting the unit's frame with bathroom caulk squeezed through a pastry bag. Kit, however, chose the room's art, including a Yoshitomo Nara painting emblazoned with the phrase ROCK 'N' ROLL WILL NEVER DIE.
So what's Rowley's favorite part of her homemade house? "The living things, of course: the people," she says, looking astonished. And with that, this diva of Seventh Avenue is off to take the girls to school, shop for groceries, run her empire, throw a taco party, then put Kit and Gigi to bed. When she rests is anybody's guess.
Written by Martha McCully • Styled by Carlos Mota • Photographed by Roger Davies
When Cynthia Rowley moved from Chicago to Manhattan back in the early 1980s, the up-and-coming fashion designer drove a U-Haul straight to a loft on Varick Street. As she remembers, she thought it was "Seventh Avenue, fashion capital of the world." Technically Varick is Seventh Avenue -- but it is an extension about 30 blocks south of the garment district. That geographical mishap notwithstanding, within three weeks of her arrival Rowley had created a ready-to-wear collection, printed invitations to her first show, and bumped into Andy Warhol, handing him an invite. A fashion force was born -- so was a domestic goddess.
Friends declare themselves amazed by her resourcefulness and ability to multitask. When she's taking a break she will whip out her iPhone to track down the perfect crown molding, and whenever she is across the country on business, Rowley always boards a red-eye back to spend an hour with her kids and husband in the morning before heading to the office. It is her whirlwind mix of energy and warmth that so many people find endearing.
Today Rowley still lives near Seventh Avenue, but home now is an 1845 Greek Revival townhouse in the West Village that she shares with her husband, writer Bill Powers, and daughters Kit and Gigi. The interiors are totally reflective of the woman behind them -- traditional yet modern, utilitarian yet artistic, solid yet whimsical. There is a bit of history here too. "Fiorello La Guardia lived around the corner," says Powers, referring to a celebrated mayor of New York. "So did the inventor of Jujubes," adds his wife.
The brick structure Rowley purchased three years ago needed a total renovation, since for many years it had been divided into apartments. The designer wanted it to be an easygoing place for indoor/outdoor living as well as a traditional family home -- and a great backyard was key. One logical addition was a pool, of course, which required an excavation of the house's overgrown property. "It was like the Addams family's garden," Rowley says. Now there is a long, lean lap pool where she takes dips with her daughters; it's also the perfect backdrop to showcase her collections (Rowley staged her 2009 resort presentation here). From one tree hangs a swing, while the branches of another form a kid-perfect route: Nine-year-old Kit can make a grand entrance through the balcony and then shinny down to the garden.
The glass-walled open kitchen-and-dining area flows straight into the yard, visually and aesthetically. Rowley designed images of flowering cherry trees and had Flavor Paper, a New Orleans firm, turn them into a silvery wall covering to install above the banquette. "It's traditional Japanese and modern at the same time," she says. The dining table was inspired by the quirky work of artist Andrea Zittel, with plates nestling into round cutouts in its surface, the designer explains, "just kind of for fun."
The so-called grown-ups' floor serves as a stage for Rowley and Powers's love of art, an enthusiasm that has led him to become a founding partner of Half Gallery with novelist James Frey and fashion entrepreneur Andy Spade. In the living room Will Cotton's portrait of Gigi, three, hangs next to a Rachel Feinstein drawing, and nearby is a Gregory Crewdson photograph and a Rowley drawing (the designer's glamorous, loopy artwork illustrates the latest of her five books, Slim: A Fantasy Memoir). A bookcase was constructed to store volumes inscribed by artists, including Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, and Warhol. On one wall a self-portrait by Rowley's grandmother is displayed below an Elizabeth Peyton painting of British rocker Pete Doherty. Why the weird juxtaposition? "They're both creative geniuses," the designer says proudly.
Guarding a staircase is a mom-and-pop pair of stuffed geese; Rowley had them shipped from Deyrolle, the legendary Paris taxidermy shop -- only to have the feathered duo nearly confiscated by U.S. Customs officials. "They tried to take them because of the bird flu," the designer says, rolling her eyes at the improbability.
Since the grown-ups' floor is used for entertaining as well, the inoperable baby grand doubles as a giant wine cooler (its body is lined with plastic). The piano bench is a Gaston Marticorena creation -- a bale of hay wrapped in plastic. Rowley is pretty good at do-it-yourself projects too. She made her daughters' bunk beds resemble a petit four by frosting the unit's frame with bathroom caulk squeezed through a pastry bag. Kit, however, chose the room's art, including a Yoshitomo Nara painting emblazoned with the phrase ROCK 'N' ROLL WILL NEVER DIE.
So what's Rowley's favorite part of her homemade house? "The living things, of course: the people," she says, looking astonished. And with that, this diva of Seventh Avenue is off to take the girls to school, shop for groceries, run her empire, throw a taco party, then put Kit and Gigi to bed. When she rests is anybody's guess.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Inspiration.. Helena Christensen.
In our section of Inspiration, is the former Danish supermodel Helena Christensen, she represents for us a way of life, their incursions into different fields earned him many accolades in his role as photographer, designer clothes, and their incursions into the world of decoration, as he opened the famous shop butik (boutique in Danish), where its clients include Donna Karan, Liv Tyler, Sarah Jessica Parker, an exquisite shop located at 605 Hudson Street, West Village, found, from flowers to old shoes , Clothing for men and women designed by Helena herself, Soaps, and antique furniture of Nordic origin, their home photographed for French Vogue is an extension of ideas of the boutique as well as their summer home in Rageleje Denmark, for all this Helena is for us a source of constant inspiration.
Detail Helena Houses
His shop Butik, in New York
Giving example of its style bohemian chic
Natalia Vodianova photographed by Helena Christensen.
Detail Helena Houses
His shop Butik, in New York
Giving example of its style bohemian chic
Natalia Vodianova photographed by Helena Christensen.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Pampa Chic..
TEXT AND STYLING: Matias Errázuriz.
Foto: Pablo Benitez.
Roses, jasmines, opened field, placidness and serenity like that is the country house of the designer Paula Cahen d Anvers and Federico Álvarez Castillo.
In the immensity of the pampas in argentine, a white palisade warns the visitor on having be crossed by a path of avenue of young poplars, crosses the distance up to the house.There are two covered constructions of ivy in its entirety, his architecture remembers to the old English railway stations, the park is a merit of Paula and Federico who planted more quantity of trees and shrubs, roses, jasmines in abundance and a lawn that looks like a carpet that gets lost in the infinite of the landscape, entering to the living room the decoration is very simple with sophisticated touches, the curtains are of sky blue organza, all the flowery and Scotch pillows are of the collections of clothes of when Paula was designing, the furniture were realized by carpenters of the zone " we had many furniture and objects guarded with the wait to finish the house and be able to locate them, though Federico and I are not architects knew from a beginning the style of house that we wanted for the field, The idea was to open the landscape for the house that the exteriors were entering to the place Paula remembers ", and the windows look like pictures when the enormous park tries to deposit the living to the quarters and up to in the baths that possess large windows as big as in other environments of the house, All the environments are easily identifiable for some objects that this identifies, in the kitchen the ancient chandelier on the table, the furniture was designed by Federico his husband, imitating the kitchens of the old country houses., the quarters are very simple but exquisite the principal was painted of colour soft rose, it have a chimney to ignite in the fresh nights and a curious collection of pictures with motives of roses, Also it possesses a dressing room and a wide bath that looks like a picture of epoch all the decoration in the bathroom is antique the floor, the curtains, and the elements for using there is one third construction that is a new house, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms and one play room for the childrens of Paula and Federico.
This zone has a great meaning for my, they were the fields where I spend part of my childhood, paula remembers
The great living is a wide environment that does not go unnoticed for the visitor has a very high roof and this one filled from the floor(flat) to the roof of pictures with ancient photos, engravings, and drawings of epoch, is called the attention the great large window of iron that goes from wall to wall, covered by curtains of blue sky organza.
besides a simple dining room this the sector of the home where a great chimney dominates the sights this one framed with recycled wood the same material used for the armchairs, the coffee table, the furniture, and the game of dining room, the floor is in white draught-board and black recycling and in excellent condition another detail to stand out is the stairs that raises the entrepiso with an ancient railing.
" Though Federico and I are not architects we knew from a beginning the style of house that we wanted for the field, the idea was to open the landscape for the house, which the exteriors were entering(approaching) to the place Paula remembers "
" We had many furniture and objects guarded to the wait to finish the house and be able to locate them, the house was arming itself alone as we saw that furniture was remaining better in every sector "
With Paula and Federico ran of the time they constructed the second modul Principal bedroom with dressing room and a great bath, the idea was to give him a feminine and soft touch because of it I look for this pale pink color in the walls, and all tha landscape around the building is fantastico like a english countryside.
Foto: Pablo Benitez.
Roses, jasmines, opened field, placidness and serenity like that is the country house of the designer Paula Cahen d Anvers and Federico Álvarez Castillo.
In the immensity of the pampas in argentine, a white palisade warns the visitor on having be crossed by a path of avenue of young poplars, crosses the distance up to the house.There are two covered constructions of ivy in its entirety, his architecture remembers to the old English railway stations, the park is a merit of Paula and Federico who planted more quantity of trees and shrubs, roses, jasmines in abundance and a lawn that looks like a carpet that gets lost in the infinite of the landscape, entering to the living room the decoration is very simple with sophisticated touches, the curtains are of sky blue organza, all the flowery and Scotch pillows are of the collections of clothes of when Paula was designing, the furniture were realized by carpenters of the zone " we had many furniture and objects guarded with the wait to finish the house and be able to locate them, though Federico and I are not architects knew from a beginning the style of house that we wanted for the field, The idea was to open the landscape for the house that the exteriors were entering to the place Paula remembers ", and the windows look like pictures when the enormous park tries to deposit the living to the quarters and up to in the baths that possess large windows as big as in other environments of the house, All the environments are easily identifiable for some objects that this identifies, in the kitchen the ancient chandelier on the table, the furniture was designed by Federico his husband, imitating the kitchens of the old country houses., the quarters are very simple but exquisite the principal was painted of colour soft rose, it have a chimney to ignite in the fresh nights and a curious collection of pictures with motives of roses, Also it possesses a dressing room and a wide bath that looks like a picture of epoch all the decoration in the bathroom is antique the floor, the curtains, and the elements for using there is one third construction that is a new house, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms and one play room for the childrens of Paula and Federico.
This zone has a great meaning for my, they were the fields where I spend part of my childhood, paula remembers
The great living is a wide environment that does not go unnoticed for the visitor has a very high roof and this one filled from the floor(flat) to the roof of pictures with ancient photos, engravings, and drawings of epoch, is called the attention the great large window of iron that goes from wall to wall, covered by curtains of blue sky organza.
besides a simple dining room this the sector of the home where a great chimney dominates the sights this one framed with recycled wood the same material used for the armchairs, the coffee table, the furniture, and the game of dining room, the floor is in white draught-board and black recycling and in excellent condition another detail to stand out is the stairs that raises the entrepiso with an ancient railing.
" Though Federico and I are not architects we knew from a beginning the style of house that we wanted for the field, the idea was to open the landscape for the house, which the exteriors were entering(approaching) to the place Paula remembers "
" We had many furniture and objects guarded to the wait to finish the house and be able to locate them, the house was arming itself alone as we saw that furniture was remaining better in every sector "
With Paula and Federico ran of the time they constructed the second modul Principal bedroom with dressing room and a great bath, the idea was to give him a feminine and soft touch because of it I look for this pale pink color in the walls, and all tha landscape around the building is fantastico like a english countryside.
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